THE BEAT

Puerto Rico native’s heritage will show at Festival Latino

If you go

Festival Latino will be held in downtown Columbus’ Genoa Park Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11 and 12. Admission is free. Obie Bermudez will perform on the Main Stage at 6 p.m. Saturday. Visit festivallatino.net.

Schedule

SATURDAY

Noon – DJ CaLe

12:30 p.m. – B.A-Star

1 p.m. – Zancudo

2:30 p.m. – Tony Vega

4:15 p.m. – Johnny Rivera

6 p.m. – Obie Bermudez

SUNDAY

Noon – DJ CaLe

2:30 p.m. – Deja vu Latin Fusion Band with Enrique Infante

4:15 p.m. – Toby Love

6 p.m. – Miriam Cruz

More Beat

For more from The Beat’s interview with Obie Bermudez, read the BeatBlog.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, young Obie Bermudez always knew he would end up making music.

He grew up in a musical family – his father a guitarist and bandleader, his grandfather a musician, and his mother a poet (if not professionally).

“It was love at first sight for me and the guitar,” the Texas-based R&B/salsa singer-songwriter told The Beat. “And my mom was always working on poetry. I didn’t know how to write a song (at the time) but I learned how to get an idea across.”

When his family moved to the United States when Obie was a teenager, the dream derailed a bit as Bermudez came to terms with a new language and a new culture, first in Chicago, then New Jersey. Settling in New Jersey eventually reinvigorated the dream, as Bermudez connected with a group of musical friends with whom he began to jam and write songs. Those songs eventually would become part of a demo recording he sent to record labels in New York City, which led to a development deal the summer after he graduated high school.

“Everything has a purpose,” Bermudez said.

His career has had its ups and downs, but he recently recorded his fifth album (Quien Me Lo Va a Creer), and is settled in Texas with his wife, singer Jennifer Pena, and 5-year-old son, Jobien.

“It’s difficult to be away from them when I have to play somewhere, but my wife is in music, so she gets it, and we have a good relationship,” he said.

While his style is smooth and contemporary acoustic guitar-based Latin R&B/pop, Bermudez said the influence of Puerto Rico is still strong in his music.